Calls Us as Witnesses Today the Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday, the ceremonial beginning of the Faith Formation year. Those who the Community has designated to serve as Catechists (teachers and sharers of faith) are called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechists are more than just teachers of religious education - they are also sharers of the faith. In many ways, faith is “caught” more than taught - kids (and adults) accept the gift of faith most often by the example of faith-filled people around them. Catechetical Sunday is also a wonderful opportunity for all of us to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel.
In fact, the 2018 theme for Catechetical Sunday is
“Enlisting Witnesses for Jesus Christ.” In a courtroom, a witness is called forth to help enlighten the jury about something the witness has experienced. They don’t have to be an “expert witness” - they just have to share what they experienced. Jesus, the just and merciful Judge, is calling each of us as witnesses of the experience of God’s love and the strength that comes from trusting in Jesus as the Savior who sees us through life’s troubles. But unlike a courtroom, we don’t have to be put “on the stand” - we can give witness in much more subtle but still powerful ways. Your simply being here at church today is one way you witness to the value of your faith. It’s not easy to be a believer in a world that often mocks people of faith, and it’s certainly not easy to be a Catholic these days. But here we are, looking to do what Jesus did on the road to Emmaus: accompany one another, listen to what is going on in others’ lives, and share where we see God in our own life experiences.
May Jesus Christ, our Teacher and Good Shepherd, bless and guide our Catechists as they begin a new year leading our children closer to Christ. May He bless all of the children in our collaborative Parishes with a spirit of openness and curiosity about God and the truth of our faith. And may Jesus strengthen the faith of all of us and help us to be witnesses to our experience of the hope and joy of our faith. May the joy of our life in Christ be so remarkable that even those who don’t believe may be moved to ask what is the secret behind this joy and claim it for themselves.